The St. Louis Cardinals delivered one of their most impressive performances of the series Wednesday, overpowering the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 behind a timely offensive attack, another strong outing from Kyle Leahy, and a standout three-RBI performance from Alec Burleson.
The victory was particularly significant because St. Louis managed to defeat one of Philadelphia’s most accomplished starters, Zack Wheeler. The Cardinals not only scored consistently against Wheeler but also received excellent work from their own pitching staff, allowing them to close out the series with convincing fashion.
Leahy once again proved to be a dependable presence on the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander worked five innings, giving up six hits while striking out six and issuing no walks. Although he allowed several baserunners, Leahy repeatedly managed to prevent the Phillies from turning those opportunities into meaningful damage.
Wheeler also completed five innings but endured a much more difficult outing. He surrendered six hits and four earned runs, striking out five and walking one as the Cardinals gradually broke through against him.
St. Louis opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Jordan Walker sparked the rally with a sharply hit single that deflected off an infielder before he immediately put pressure on the Phillies by stealing second base.
Nathan Church followed by driving a 93-mph Wheeler fastball down the left-field line for a double, allowing Walker to score and giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 advantage.
Philadelphia answered in the fourth inning when Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez delivered consecutive doubles. Harper started the rally with an extra-base hit before Arraez followed with another double, bringing Harper home and tying the game at 1-1.
The Cardinals, however, responded with their biggest offensive inning of the night in the fifth.
Prieto started the frame with his first hit of the season, giving St. Louis an important spark. JJ Wetherholt then singled two batters later and advanced Prieto to third, setting up Ivan Herrera for a go-ahead RBI single.
That was only the beginning.
Burleson stepped up with an RBI double before Walker followed with another double, turning a narrow 2-1 advantage into a commanding 5-1 lead. Burleson’s contribution proved especially important, as his bat continued to provide the Cardinals with the timely production they needed against Philadelphia’s pitching.
St. Louis added even more insurance in the seventh inning. Burleson came through again with another RBI single, giving him three RBIs for the game. Church then added a sacrifice fly, extending the Cardinals’ advantage to 7-1 and effectively putting the game out of reach.
From there, the Cardinals’ bullpen took over.
Justin Bruihl, Gordon Graceffo and Luis Gastelum combined to pitch the final four innings without allowing Philadelphia to score. Their shutout relief effort ensured that the Phillies never had an opportunity to mount a late comeback and secured a decisive series-clinching victory for St. Louis.
The win gives the Cardinals valuable momentum heading into another important divisional matchup. St. Louis will now travel to Chicago for a crucial series against the Chicago Cubs, while the Phillies are left to regroup after an offensive performance that saw them score only one run.
For the Cardinals, Wednesday’s victory showcased the formula they will need moving forward: timely hitting from players such as Burleson and Walker, reliable starting pitching from Leahy, and a bullpen capable of protecting a lead once the offense takes control.
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